Swiss Joseph Blatter and French Michel Platini will go on trial in Swiss court starting Wednesday on charges of fraud concerning a suspicious payment made in 2015. The former president of FIFA, Blatter (86 years old), and the former head of UEFA, Platini (66 years old), will face a two-week trial in the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, accused of fraud due to a dubious payment that has excluded them from the global football scene since 2015.
The two former officials, also charged with mismanagement, breach of trust, and forgery, are accused of "illegally obtaining, from FIFA, a payment made in 2011 worth two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros)" for Platini's benefit. The court states that Platini "submitted a false invoice to FIFA in 2011 for an alleged debt (that is still claimed) for his work as a consultant for FIFA between 1998 and 2002."
The court proceedings will conclude on the 22nd of this month, and the three judges will deliver their verdict on July 8. Both men face a potential five-year prison sentence or financial penalties. Both Platini and Blatter have been banned from any football-related activities after the Frenchman seemed ready to succeed the Swiss at the top of the international organization.
The allies turned rivals as Platini grew impatient to take control, while Blatter's downfall came quickly due to a separate corruption scandal in 2015 investigated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Blatter joined FIFA in 1975, became its secretary-general in 1981, and its president in 1998. The Swiss was forced to resign from his position as president of the global body in 2015 and was banned by FIFA for eight years, which was later reduced to six years, due to ethical violations after it was revealed that he had allowed a payment of two million euros to Platini.
Platini is considered one of the greatest football players in history, having won the Ballon d'Or three times consecutively from 1983 to 1985. He presided over UEFA from January 2007 to December 2015. He appealed the eight-year suspension, which was later reduced to four years.
